Prince Harry and his wife Meghan would not have given the name Lilibet to their new daughter if Queen Elizabeth, who was first given the nickname by her father, “did not support the decision”, a spokesperson for the British royals has said.

The couple have denied a BBC report that claimed the queen had not been asked about the use of the name in advance, according to a palace source. A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said: “The duke (Harry) spoke with his family in advance of the announcement.

“In fact, his grandmother was the first family member he called. During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour.”

The spokesperson added that “had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name”.

The name Lilibet was the nickname given to Elizabeth II by her father and then later used by her close family, and in particular her husband, Prince Philip.

Harry and Meghan’s daughter – the queen’s 11th great-grandchild – also takes the name Diana, after her late grandmother.

Harry and Meghan announced the birth of their second child on Sunday, after she was born on Friday, June 4 at a hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

In a statement posted to the royal family’s Twitter account, the queen, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Prince William and his wife Kate all said they were “delighted” with the news.

“Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news.”

Prince Charles on Tuesday expressed his delight at becoming a grandfather for the fifth time during a visit to the Oxford Mini UK Plant, where he spoke about the importance of maintaining a healthy world for future generations.

He said: “The development of technology like electric vehicles, or green hydrogen for that matter for heavy transport, is vital for maintaining the health of our world for future generations, something I’m only too aware of today having recently become a grandfather for the fifth time.

“And such happy news really does remind one of the necessity of continued innovation in this area, especially around sustainable battery technology, in view of the legacy we bequeath to our grandchildren.”